Maldives pres not seeking confrontation with any country

President Mohamed Muizzu has said that the Maldives does not wish to confront any country and will not be hostile to any country as long as the sovereignty of the Maldives is respected and accepted.

The President, speaking at Veymandoo on his visit to Thaa atoll, said what must be done to protect the independence of the country is not an ordinary thing to do and it was a shame that some people spoke against what he decided to do to maintain independence.

In his Presidential address at the opening of Parliament for this year on Monday, the President said he would establish the capability of the Maldivian army to monitor the Exclusive Economic Zone (EZ) 24 hours a day.

In the wake of recent cases of Indian Coast Guard vessels entering Maldivian EEZ unauthorised, and searching Maldivian fishing boats while armed, he said the Maldivian military should be strengthened to defend the country at all levels.

"I [said] in Parliament yesterday that our territory is very large. The islands are small but our sea territory is very large. There are 974,000 square kilometres. We have not really managed this huge area for a long time," he said.

It is an area where the Maldivians should gain economic benefits and there is no adequate fishing being done within the area still, he said.

"If we reach that point and start fishing day and night and start making full profits by fishing, even though our most important industry at the moment is the tourism industry, just as I said during the campaign, if we expand fisheries so much, it will be an industry that will benefit us more than the tourism industry", Muizzu said.

"And moreover, to safeguard our freedom and sovereignty, and to ensure the security of sovereignty, we have to maintain the area”.

The people would not want to seek the help of others to maintain the maritime area of our country, he said.

"Should others come to look after the backyard of our houses, or should we build the capacity ourselves? That is the question. I am telling you that we will soon be able to maintain this huge area on our own," he said.

Preparations have been made and the work will be done in practice soon, he said.

The President questioned whether those people making fun of him, when he says he is working to increase the ability to manage Maldivian economic zone ourselves, are people who actually love their nation.

“People who are concerned only for their own good regardless of what happens to the country and have proven to have worked in the past to achieve the goal they want from others could make such a statement,” he said.

"I am not looking for a confrontation with any country. Our foreign policy will be based on friendship. We will not be hostile to any country as long as they respect our freedom, and our sovereignty”.

He added that Maldives will be friends with any country that provides assistance and economic benefits to the people, does not interfere in Maldivian internal affairs and will treat us as fairly no matter how small we are.

“We will be in a spirit of friendship with anyone who believes that our border is ours and that no one else can influence that border,” he said.

The President said he was not hostile to any country and that others were trying to create enmity.

He asked for the cooperation of the people to carry out the works of the government.